Rivers

Question 1

What is a source?

Answer 1

Where a river begins normally located on high ground

Question 2

What is a tributary?

Answer 2

A smaller river that joins a larger one

Question 3

What is a confluence?

Answer 3

The point where two or more rivers join

Question 4

What is the mouth of a river?

Answer 4

The point where a river enters the sea

Question 5

What is the cause of the river?

Answer 5

The path the river flows along from the river source to the mouth

Question 6

What is the estuary

Answer 6

Highland area that separates one drainage basin from another

Question 7

What is a watershed?

Answer 7

Part of the river mouth that is tidal it is where the river meets the sea

Question 8

Describe the dendritic pattern of river drainage

Answer 8

They resemble a tree
Are the most common type of river basin found in Ireland?
Tributaries meet the river at acute angles
Normally on gentle sloping land

Question 9

Describe trellis drainage patterns

Answer 9

They occur where tributaries meet the river at 90° angles

Question 10

Describe radial drainage patterns

Answer 10

These patterns form when tributaries flow from a circular or oval shaped mountain they flow out in all directions

Question 11

Describe parallel river drainage patterns

Answer 11

They form when rivers flow alongside each other rather than joining due to the landscape their separate

Question 12

Describe the pattern of a deranged drainage basin

Answer 12

They occur attribute flow in disorganised manner. They typically occur in swamp or marshlands where the river has low velocity.

Question 13

What type of river drainage pattern looks like a spoke wheel?

Answer 13

Radial

Question 14

What type of river drainage pattern looks like a tree?

Answer 14

Dendritic

Question 15

What type of drainage river pan looks really disorganised?

Answer 15

Deranged

Question 16

What type of drainage river pattern has tributaries that don’t join?

Answer 16

Parallel

Question 17

What type of drainage river pattern has tributaries that meet a river at 90°?

Answer 17

Trellis

Question 18

What are the four types of river erosion process?

Answer 18

Solution
Abrasion
Attrition
Hydraulic action

Question 19

What is hydraulic action?

Answer 19

It is the force of moving water that crashes against a riverbed or bank and breaks off fragments of rock and washes away loose soil and pebbles

It widen the deepens the river channel

Question 20

What is abrasion?

Answer 20

This is where eroded material hits off the bed and banks of the river loosening other rocks and soil

Question 21

What is attrition?

Answer 21

It is when rocks and pebbles are carried by the river hit off each other and I gradually worn down and into fine particles called alluvium

Question 22

What is solution?

Answer 22

This occurs when soluble rock in the river channel are dissolved by weak acid in the water like limestone

Question 23

What are the causes of river deposition?

Answer 23

River loses its velocity
River loses its volume
Increased load

Question 24

What are the methods of river transportation?

Answer 24

Traction
Solution
Suspension
Saltation

Question 25

Describe suspension as the method of river transportation

Answer 25

It is when lighter materials are carried within the war

Question 26

Describe saltation as a method of river transportation

Answer 26

It occurs when small pebbles and stones that are too heavy to be carried in suspension or bounced along the river bed

Question 27

Describe traction as a method of river transportation

Answer 27

Large heavy pebbles are rolled along the river bed

Question 28

What river transportation process requires the most energy?

Answer 28

Traction as these are the heaviest materials they usually are moved during winter when the river has greater volume in velocity

Question 29

Describe solution as a method of transportation

Answer 29

Occur occurs when soluble rocks such as limestone and choke are dissolved and carried away within the water

Question 30

Define lateral erosion

Answer 30

This is where the river road sideways against the riverbank

Question 31

Define cavitation

Answer 31

Shockwaves from burshing air bubbles dislodge material from riverbanks

Question 32

Define eddying

Answer 32

Water swirling in a circular motion as it hits off an uneven river bed. Create hollows in bed.

Question 33

Name some river features

Answer 33

Waterfall Flood plane Oxbow Lake Levee Delta Meander Interlocking Spurs V-shaped Valley

Question 34

What happens in stage one of the youthful stage of a river?

Answer 34

Located close to the source Steep gradient which causes river to have high velocity Lateral erosion Processes of erosion are most active in the youthful stage/upper course leading to the formation of V-shaped valleys, interlocking spurs gorges and water falls

Question 35

What happens in the middle course/mature stage of river formation?

Answer 35

It has a gentler slope than the upper course so velocity is reduced both erosion and deposition. Take place here. Meanderers form here and river braids

Question 36

What happens in the lower course/old stage of river formation?

Answer 36

The river profile is gently sloping so water flows at slow rate as it enters the sea. The river no longer has the energy to a road or transport load so deposition is active here. Floodplains levee Ox bow Lakes and Delta are found here

Question 37

What are potholes?

Answer 37

They are hollows in the river bed formed due to editing. These will eventually join together deep the river bed.

Question 38

What are bluffs?

Answer 38

Far this point that water reaches along a floodplain. Gentle slope landmarks floodplain boundary.

Question 39

What are lacustrine delta’s?

Answer 39

Delta that form when rivers flow into lakes, e.g. Glendalock.

Question 40

What are? Arcuate Delta.

Answer 40

The most common type of Delta with triangular pieces of land with many distributors

Question 41

What are birds foot deltas?

Answer 41

Materials are deposited on the banks of distributaries. River current is stronger than the sea so Delta grows outwards to the sea.

Question 42

What are cuspate delta’s?

Answer 42

Sediment is evenly spread on either side of the river channel

Question 43

What are meander scars/Mortlake?

Answer 43

Portions of a river channel that were abandoned when a meander was cut off. Ox bow lake that forms when river cuts through meander neck.

Question 44

What is back swamp?

Answer 44

Area of marshlands that develop on a floodplain. Water cannot drain back into the sea due to levee

Question 45

What is headwatd erosion

Answer 45

When the waterfall retreats back when upstream due to the overhang collapsing

Question 46

What is a gorge?

Answer 46

Steep sided valley in youthful stage formed when a waterfall cheats backwards upstream

Question 47

What is a river braid

Answer 47

River loses energy in the middle/old stage. Deposits build up to form a river braid/alluvial fan. The river split into narrow streams.